Chapter 15 – Chronos's deal

Chronos had a rather attractive house in Purgatory, decided Hermione. It was not terribly old-fashioned or completely futuristic. For a man lost in time, Chronos showed remarkable sense of taste. Or was that a hand from Marlene? And was that some standard for the other incarnations? For a brief instant, Hermione wondered how the entities managed their living arrangements.

Then she heard Atropos remind her, Focus. Hermione blushed and knocked.

Chronos opened up the door and smiled, 'Hello, love. Come in.'

Hermione did without a word, and he embraced her lovingly. That was enough to enrage her again once more. She broke the embrace and proceeded to slap him soundly in the face.

'Ow!,' he exclaimed, touching the sore cheek. 'What did you do that for?'

'There is no need to disguise the truth from me anymore,' she said coldly. 'I know all about the conspiracy to make me your - your lover!' The last word was said with no small amount of contempt.

The elder incarnation looked at her with a lost expression on his face. 'Clotho, what are you talking about?'

Hermione spat the words in his direction, 'I know that you and the other incarnations teamed up with a plan to make me accept the job, and to do that you people didn't hesitate to conspire to murder my husband! This is it! I am done with all of you immortals! I wish to quit this whole damned thing right now!'

The man was increasingly distraught. 'Sweetheart, what is this? Why are-' Chronos stopped himself suddenly. 'Is that your first day in the office?'

She barked, 'You know damn well it is!'

Chronos looked at her in deep anguish. 'No, my dear, I don't. I don't know. My life is all backwards, you see.' He seemed to be getting more emotional by the second. 'I didn't know we were about to change, that there would be a new... well, a new you, and you helped me so much; I mean the former you. You were so helpful when I felt lonely and lost, I didn't even know how to hold the hourglass, and you kept my secrets, you never told the others; I was absurdly grateful to you, but -'

The Incarnation of Time stopped his rant for two reasons. The strongest one was that he burst into tears, unable to continue, and the other reason was that he saw Clotho looking at him in the oddest possible manner.

Chronos wiped his tears hastily, asking, 'You don't have a clue what I am talking about, do you?'

Hermione smiled and answered, 'I know something now. You couldn't have conspired against me. Your timeline is different!'

Hermione saw him nod, for it was true. Chronos could not have conspired into killing Ron. And if that was true, then everything Satan told her must be a big fat lie. And she bought it, hook, line and sinker.

Now you understand, said Lachesis in her head. She sounded sad.

I told you it was a pack of lies, said Atropos, sounding angry. That scoundrel!

Hermione felt so ashamed. She turned to the Incarnation of Time and said, gently, 'Chronos, I am so sorry. I was so unfair to you. Please, forgive me. Could we start our friendship all over again?'

He smiled, and it was a brilliant smile, as he took her both hands into his and answered, 'Our friendship may seem young to you, but you are an old friend of mine, dear Clotho, even this version of you. You have shown me a whole new world, and I am so grateful to you. I could never harm you intentionally, and you must keep this as an absolute truth.'

Chronos kissed Hermione's hands and she felt he was sincere. He went on, 'I think this moment is when we put together our pact.'

'Pact?' repeated her.

'When I first met you, so long ago (to me, I mean),' he explained in a didactic manner, 'you made it clear that having me as your lover was not of your own volition. Former Clotho presented this situation to you as a fait accompli, as they say. She was a clever girl to do that.'

'How so?'

'Clotho knew I would never pursue an unwilling lover. No one can say Time has not a measure of mercy. You and I talked it over and we really struck a deal. To all the others, I will still be Fate's lover. But not the aspect of Fate everyone believes. For I know now Lachesis is a mature, practical, loving and gentle woman who happens to love this old man here.'

The information fell like the Hiroshima bomb on all three aspects of the incarnation of Fate. Hermione gasped and so did the other two. Chronos wanted Lachesis?

He knows?, a shocked Lachesis said in Hermione's head.

Way to go, you old gal!, teased Atropos. Chronos is such a looker!

The Incarnation of Time told Hermione, 'I think you are a lovely girl, Clotho, but is it possible to discuss this with my beloved Lachesis?'

Hermione was still shocked by the whole confession and didn't move for a good minute, before feisty Atropos intervened vigorously, Clotho, don't just stand there! Make room for the lovebirds!

Hermione let Lachesis take over the body, and Chronos gasped as he looked at the middle-aged aspect of Fate, 'You look more scrumptious every time I see you, darling.'

Atropos was elated, perhaps even more than Lachesis, realized Hermione. The middle-aged aspect was still under the impact of Chronos's declaration. 'Did you mean what you said?'

'Of course I meant. Every word of it. You are delectable, my love.'

The couple seemed lost in each other. Hermione asked the older aspect, I don't think we should be watching this. How can we give them privacy?

Atropos chuckled, Welcome to the awesome world of three personalities in one body. There is no privacy. Let's just shut up and look the other way.

Hermione did that. It was hard not to look at such a beautiful love story unfolding right in front of her. Apparently, Lachesis had loved Chronos from afar for a long time, but never acted on that because the former Clotho was in love with Time, and she seemed to be corresponded, for Chronos looked very happy with their affair. Lachesis never displayed any jealousy or resentment towards the sister aspect.

But it had hurt, Lachesis admitted.

Chronos said it was New Clotho who opened his eyes to Lachesis when she proposed some sort of negotiation. The personification of time said he would not mind an older lover, that as matter of fact, mature women had always been a preference of his in his mortal life. Besides, once he found out Lachesis had affection in her heart for him, it was an irresistible turn-on for him.

To the other incarnations, however, Chronos was still Clotho's lover. At first, Hermione thought it was just to save face. After all, it would be hard to a man to explain he had passed a young delicious woman in favor of an older girlfriend. But the truth was much darker than mere appearance of sexual prowess.

Chronos explained it himself. The Incarnation of Time said the arrangement was the least he could do to avoid the risk of Hermione being sexually disputed by the other incarnations. Satan had already made a move (Hermione confirmed), and Death was calmer, he said, but love was not an area of Thanatos. Mars, however, was quite aggressive, sexually speaking. Although the Incarnation of War had a long-standing arrangement with Gaia, the Incarnation of Nature, he was a manly man, who would not hesitate to take a younger lover by the side. Hermione shuddered in disgust.

And so the deal was sealed. Chronos and Lachesis played the loving old couple, though Clotho would take the rep as a salacious lover.

It seemed like a win-win situation. But not even Time could predict every tiny little occurrence ahead.

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

They returned to the Abode of Fate in high spirits. Hermione was thoroughly mortified for having fallen so easily to Satan's cheap tricks and asked forgiveness of her sisters. Atropos tried to comfort her, and Lachesis was so happy about her newly affair with Chronos that hardly was angry at her. It seemed the whole Satan thing was over.

Except for the fact that Satan decided to stop and pay Fate a visit in the Abode. Hermione had the body, and so Satan's red face had a big smile as he greeted her, 'Hello, scrumptious.'

Caught by surprise, Hermione shouted, 'You!'

The abhorrent figure flashed a winning smile. 'Miss me, sweet chums?'

If she were still a witch, Hermione would throw him the nastiest curse she knew that was not an Unforgivable. But now she was a mere incarnation, and all she could do was cuss at him.

And she laid out on him, hard and low.

'Oh,' he said, faking admiration. 'Those are some choice words, loveliest. I guess I struck a nerve.'

Lachesis advised, Don't let him disturb you beyond the ability of thought.

But Hermione was still angry, 'You lied to me and tried to scam me.'

The Prince of Evil minimized it, 'I may have exaggerated it, I admit it. But it was out of concern for you. A sweet young girl like you should not have to be the lover to an old geezer such as Chronos. Nor should you be disputed by the other sleazy male incarnations. So I came here to make you an offer to set you free from all this grief.'

'What makes you think I will believe anything you say?' asked her.

'Because I may have exaggerated, but I did not tell you complete lies,' emphasized him. 'There was some truth to what I told you. Consult the history: that is how evil works, with basis on truth. The incarnations will try to bed your lovely body, and they will not respond well to any of your negatives. But, oh scrumptious one, I can protect you.'

Easy, girl, said Atropos, sensing another explosion from Hermione. The younger aspect of Fate refrained from hurling another cuss word at the Incarnation of Evil.

The apparent lack of resistance made Satan go on, 'You could be immortal and young forever without having to be lover to any unwanted old chap. I guarantee you protection if you are my lover. I would treat you like a queen in my domain, pamper you beyond anything you have ever seen!'

Hermione was a bit awed, 'A queen?'

Satan sensed she was taken aback. 'Not only a queen, but my most distinguished protégé. I would give you an exclusive abode and lavish you with rich clothes, jewels and whatever else your heart desires! If you want, I can emulate your husband, to ensure your pleasure. I can emulate anyone you want!'

Hermione looked at him, and her expression didn't let out a clue about her thoughts. If he were a cat, Satan would be licking his whiskers, in anticipation.

You cannot be taking him seriously, said Lachesis in alarm.

Smart Atropos quickly realized, She is egging him on! You go, Clotho! Let this bastard eat off his own words!

'What about the office?,' asked Hermione. 'You want me to abandon my post in the very beginning of my cycle?'

'No one gets hurt this way,' explained the Rotten One. 'You have not been Fate time enough to make any difference.'

Then a polite knock was heard. 'Excuse me, Marlene, may I come -?'

It was Thanatos, the Incarnation of Death.

Or, as Hermione knew him better, Severus Snape, former Death Eater turned superspy.

Holy shit!, exclaimed Lachesis inside Hermione.

And she took over the body.

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

Something definitely was going on, decided Severus, as he resumed his favorite leisure time activity: keeping an eye on Hermione. He had not done that in a long time. More precisely, the last time had been when he came out to her as an Incarnation of Immortality. And now something seemed amiss.

Severus had not used the danger alerting device since the demise of the Dark Lord Voldemort. But he could not resist altering the device to alert him of any danger towards Hermione, especially since her surprise visit to Purgatory, to beg for the life of her husband.

The apparatus had warned him of a trivial accident during her holiday in Ireland. Actually, the accident had not been so trivial. Harry Potter had been called, for Hermione went to a hospital and the doctors said she suffered bouts of mild memory loss. She could not explain why she had used the name Monica Wendel to register in the resort or the name of the lady who had dined with her the night before the accident. But all of that was forgotten because she was well enough to go back to England. And then Severus noticed it.

It could be still grief, of course, for the loss of her husband. The death of a spouse always meant a terrible blow in a person's life. But Hermione seemed so different. Actually she looked the same, but there was a different light in her eyes, another demeanor in her stance. She was changed somehow. And it baffled Severus.

Another thing Severus had not done in a long time was a visit to his friend Marlene. It seemed the Incarnation of Fate was quite busy these days, for she was never home. He tried and tried, but every time he stopped by the Abode there was nobody home.

Severus had no hope of finding anyone home when he knocked and came inside the Abode of Fate. So he was justifiably surprised when not only he found that Fate was home, but also that she had company.

Evil company.